The world’s largest offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal began trial operation on Sunday, which will increase the use of clean energy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and optimize the energy structure of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The LNG terminal is equipped with world’s first full-steel offshore dock available for two LNG carriers at same time, which has a designed duration of 50 years and stronger supportive structure than ordinary offshore LNG terminals, according to a statement China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the builder of the terminal, sent to the Global Times on Monday.  

Since construction of the terminal started in 2020, the construction team has achieved nearly 30 breakthroughs in construction technologies. They have installed 28 individual parts weighing 3.5 tons each and laid 63 kilometers of undersea pipeline.

The LNG terminal was built under the development structure of Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050 unveiled in October 2021, which pledged to achieve carbon neutrality before 2025 in Hong Kong. The plan also includes another inland LNG terminal and two undersea pipelines.  

CNOOC now has comprehensive construction ability across the LNG industry, and is at the leading level for building LNG storage facilities, said the company in the statement.